Nintendo

Thursday, April 17, 2008

The Link to the Past soundtrack CD set, released in 1993, contained a second CD with orchestrated music from the title. The very last track was called "Sound & Drama" and told a radio-play style story that outlined the events that took place before the game proper. "The Prelude of Two" included sound effects and original background music as well as talented voice actors playing the roles of Link, Zelda, and the game's other characters. I tried my best to render the Japanese into English as smoothly as possible, but was repeatedly unhappy with my results. Finally, I asked for help from MNGoldenEagle, webmaster of Zelda's Secret Ocarina and an experienced storyteller. Together we collaborated to retain the flavour and stay true to the original work while rendering it into natural story-quality English.

Link: I must hurry, Princess Zelda is in this tower! If I don't fend off Ganon's underlings quickly, I won't be able to help her! And without her, nothing will prevent the evil king Ganondorf from overtaking the world!

Zelda: Link! I'm here! Link!

Link: Zelda?!

Zelda: Link? Link!

Ganondorf: *laughing*

Link: Zelda!

****

~The Legend of Zelda~A Prelude of Two

****

Link: I am called Link. The winds of change had begun to flow across then-peaceful kingdom of Hyrule when I first met her, Princess Zelda. Yes... it was the time of my father Banzetta and mother Loretta's death.

****

Banzetta: Loretta... please, be safe... Loretta!

Loretta: Link... your father comes... to help us... Link...

Banzetta: Loretta!

Loretta: My love!

Banzetta: Do not give up, Loretta!

Loretta: My love... Link... be clever... like him...

Banzetta: Loretta! No! Ganondorf's men did this!

****

Link: My father Banzetta was a soldier, fighting to protect the Triforce. In order not to burden him, I was left in the care of Princess Zelda's (who was only a year older than me) nurse, Egorowa.

****

Egorowa: Again you go to the battlefield...

Banzetta: I do not know when I shall return. However, looking at this child, I can see that he has escaped death. I would ask you to raise him as a knight, in order to die with honor and grace.

Egorowa: Banzetta...

Banzetta: After my death, I believe he will follow in my footsteps.

Egorowa: Very well, it shall be as you wish. Together, with my husband Alphon, we shall care for Link.

Banzetta: Then I bid you farewell, Link...

****

Link: My father Banzetta left to protect the kingdom of Hyrule and to avenge my mother Loretta. Ten years have passed since then. I am growing into a gallant swordsman, fatherless but not unloved.

****

Link: Hah! Yes!

Alphon: You have not defeated me yet! Your thrusts are excellent, Link!

Link: *in pain*

Alphon: *laughing* You should be more careful.

Egorowa: Dearest, Link! Come and eat!

Alphon: We're coming!

Link: *thrusts at Alphon* Yes!

Alphon: That was not fair, Link! *in pain*

Egorowa: Link is certainly becoming an equal match!

Alphon: Link is certainly quite adept! Just what one would expect from the son of an expert swordsman of Hyrule!

Egorowa: The princess says that Link will become a hero.

Alphon: Hmm.

****

Link: Since childhood I devoted my life to being a knight of Princess Zelda. Princess Zelda believed in me, trusted me.

****

Zelda: Link, if trouble were to befall me, would you come to my aid no matter the cost?

Link: Yes Princess, I will protect you even if it costs me my life.

Zelda: As daughter of the king, I partake in the rule of the land. Link, you are of courageous heart and mind. To honor your valor, I hereby grant you the title of Royal Knight.

****

Link: Aunt Egorowa watched us, smiling. I knew from then that my destiny was tied to Princess Zelda forever.

****

Zelda: Link, follow me.

Link: Wh-where are we going, Princess?

Zelda: Beyond this gateway sleeps the legendary treasure, the Triforce.

Link: The Triforce?

Zelda: A sacred relic which controls power, imparts wisdom, and strengthens courage. If the complete, three-crested Triforce resides within the true hero, it will be at its greatest strength.

Link: The true hero...

Zelda: Yes. For the one who possesses the Triforce... will gain the powers of the goddesses.

Link: If I have the power to protect you, I need nothing else.

Zelda: You're too noble, aren't you? But not everyone in this world is like you... the evil sorceror Ganondorf also desires to have this holy relic.

Link: Ganondorf...

Zelda: Yes... and then the Royal Family of Hyrule will be cast away by him, and the world laid to ruin and despair.

Link: If something like that ever happened to you, I... I...

Zelda: Link, YOU are the true hero. Now open the gate and it shall grant you the courage you need.

Link: ... yes, Your Highness.

*the gate opens*

Link: This... is the Triforce...?

Zelda: Go, Link... touch the Crest of Courage.

Link: As you wish, Princess.

****

Link: At the time, there was no way of knowing that what I had touched was the true Triforce, but I believed I had the courage of the goddesses. Not too long after, something terrible happened.

****

Zelda: Father! Father!

Ganondorf's Follower: I found the princess!

Zelda: You people killed my father!

Ganondorf's Followers: Yes, and for King Ganondorf we killed the kingdom of Hyrule too! We've killed everything in the castle. But relax... we won't kill you, Princess, not yet.

Zelda: Let go of me!!

****

Link: As for me, Egorowa hid me someplace safe, but Zelda's screams still pierced the air.

****

Link: I have courage and power! Princess Zelda!

Ganondorf's Follower: There's still someone in the castle!

Ganondorf's Follower 2: We must destroy everything, or we will be killed by

Ganondorf! Go!

Ganondorf's Followers: Right!

Egorowa: Link! Run for your life!

Link: No! I must help Princess Zelda!

Egorowa: The castle is burning; even if you fight here you'll only be killed. Go to the secret exit and escape the castle!

Link: Release me! I must help Princess Zelda! I must!

Egorowa: You do not yet possess enough power! You must go to Alphon!

****

Link: Aunt Egorowa and I mounted a horse and sped to Alphon.

****

Link: Let me off! I must fight them!

Egorowa: Link, listen to me carefully. Go to Alphon and wait for the time to come. Princess Zelda will call to your heart.

Link: Call to my...?

Egorowa: Link... if you are the true hero, use wisdom, power and courage as they are needed and you will persevere against all odds. Love is the key. It is evil's bane.

Link: Aunt Egorowa...

Egorowa: Being a hero isn't only plunging into the thick of battle. It is also knowing when it's better to wait for the opportune moment to strike.

Link: ... I understand.

Egorowa: Then we must part. Link...

Link: Wait... Aunt Egorowa... Aunt Egorowa!

****

Link: That was the last time I saw Aunt Egorowa. She had lured Ganondorf's followers into a cave, and together they died in an explosion. No!

****

*Link is crying*

Alphon: Link... Link!

Link: Uncle Alphon?

Alphon: Egorowa died to protect Princess Zelda and the kingdom from Ganondorf's hand. She believed that you were the true hero. You mustn't be sad for her. She died honorably, and that is never a sad thing. Link...

Link: That's... good, isn't it... uncle...

****

Link: There wasn't a day I wasn't haunted by the deafening roar of the explosion that robbed me of my aunt.

****

Alphon: Link, there is nothing more I can teach you.

Link: Uncle...

Alphon: The most important thing you must learn now is not the way of the sword, but the way of the heart.

Link: The way of the heart?

Alphon: Yes. Do not let hatred consume your soul. Instead, fill your heart with love. If you do, you will be able to hear the voices of those you love.

Link: Voices?

Egorowa: Wait for the time to come. Princess Zelda will call to your heart.

****

Link: What should I do... how can I forget my hatred? Ganondorf killed my mother and Aunt Egorowa. I will always thirst for his blood.

Egorowa: Link...

Link: Aunt Egorowa?

Egorowa: Have you forgotten the power of the true hero? The power of the true hero is love...

****

Link: With that, I was woken by a voice faintly remembered. A voice guiding me on a long and perilous journey.